20 Questions With Terri Clark

Terri Clark examines the serious side of her life in CMT Inside Fame, debuting Saturday (July 19) at 9 p.m., ET/PT. But what about her dog, her jeans, her piercings and her nicknames? These are the questions submitted by her fans on CMT.com, and there’s only one way to find out her answers … so keep reading!

1. I know you started out playing at Tootsie’s in Nashville. What were some of the songs you did back then?

I did a lot of classic country: Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Hank Williams, as well as the what were new then currents like Randy Travis, the Judds, Reba, Ricky Skaggs, k.d. lang and Rosanne Cash.

2. What style and brand is your cowboy hat?

George Strait Resistol straw, size 7-1/8.

3. I’ve seen you with your dog on TV. What kind of dog is it, and does it always travel with you?

He is Oscar, a black mixed breed of dachshund, basset, Lab. And no, only sometimes. … We’ve been on the West Coast for almost a month, and I really miss him.

4. I’ve only seen you in jeans, but I’m sure many other male fans would like to see you in a dress. Us guys have talked it over and we’re sure you have great legs. Any chance we might see them some night on stage or at the Opry?

I wore a dress for a photo shoot with Twang magazine back in 1998. I also wore a dress for the Grace magazine shoot recently. I am most comfortable in jeans, and feel like the more comfortable I am on the outside translates to the inside and vice versa. Maybe I should start wearing cutoff shorts with my hat? That would show the legs more, I guess. Honestly, dresses and hats don’t go too well together for me, so I would have to get rid of both the hat and jeans to wear a dress, and that just wouldn’t be right, now would it?

5. If you had the opportunity to do a “Got Me In With The Band” episode from the other side, who would you like to get in the band with?

Paul McCartney, cause my mother is dying to meet him.

6. If you could prepare a time capsule for your fans and friends to open in 2023, what would you put in the capsule?

A good bottle of wine, my five albums and a picture of me … in a dress. (See question # 5.)

7. I am a huge fan and I happen to be very close to 5’10” also. I have a hard time finding jeans that are long enough. What brand of jeans do you buy for your long legs?

I wear Wrangler, Lucky and Abercrombie & Fitch. They all come in extra long for women.

8. You seem to be a very confident and outgoing personality. Have you ever considered getting involved politically?

I am an entertainer and feel it is my job to entertain people, not voice my political opinions … or else I’d have gone into politics instead of country music.

9. How do you think country music has changed lately toward women and their music?

There seems to have been a strong movement towards the male side of country music these days. It is, like anything else, very cyclical, and there are peaks and valleys for both sides. So I am sure that women will end up rocking again at some point like they were in the mid-to-late ‘90s. At least this way, everyone gets their turn.

10. If you were asked to be on a tribute album for one of your favorite artists, whose would you be on, and why?

I just did it. Patsy Cline. I produced my own version of “Walking After Midnight.” Myself and my road band played on the track.

11. What has been the most challenging thing to you, as an artist?

Trying not to let the highs feel too high or the lows feel too low.

12. How many piercings do you have in each ear? In the video “Three Mississippi,” I can tell you have quite a few.

Left ear … four. Right … three.

13. Which country star haven’t you met that you would like to meet?

Tammy Wynette, for obvious reasons. I would have loved to have met her before she died.

Mom taught me the first three chords and I figured out the rest. So, my style of chording is very strange due to the fact that I figured it out on my own. I do not play bar chords like most people do, but it works.

16. Is it true that you have decided to become an American citizen? If so, why?

I took out American citizenship back in 1993 so that my parents could become residents in the States, which they did for a few years. But they now live back in Canada. I am considered a dual citizen because I have not revoked my Canadian citizenship, and I was born there. I am very proud to be a Canadian, as well as living in a wonderful country like the U.S.A. … America and Canada have both been very good to me.

17. If you hadn’t been a country singer, what vocation would you have chosen?

“Can I see your driver’s license and registration please?”

18. I’ve read in magazines that you like to cook when you have the time. What is your favorite dish to make?

Prime rib, mashed taters, Italian food, chicken dishes.

19. Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Nope, just go out and sing

20. What is one thing, other than your family, that will always make you smile?

I know it sounds cliché, but music. Music can make me smile, cry, laugh, think and feel whatever else there is. It’s magic, absolutely magic stuff — and I love it.